Artist

Alexander Averin

Monday 13 July 2009

Memory banks - a deposit and a withdrawal.




A Memory Tree

Each item, each ornament,
each bauble, bangle, a memory
a special moment in our lives
remembered each year in the decorating
the dressing of the tree, under which the presents
will be placed, connections to special times,
milestones in our family
birthdays, firsts and more
family history too, of ornaments
given and gotten from
earlier saints we have known

Raymond A Foss



Dear Diary,


Fond memory brings the light of other days around me

Thomas More


Aries (Mar21-Apr20)

A piece of music, whiff of perfume or magazine article might remind you of times gone by. Don't fight the feeling; revisit a long forgotten territory and savour this trip down memory lane. You might feel uplifted that some experiences from years ago feel like it happened yesterday. Sharing this with others could stir up a few more old memories. This gives you a chance to celebrate how interesting at times, your life has been.

Synchronicity at work again. The above is my horoscope courtesy of Russell Grant.

I went to my daughter’s graduation ceremony recently, she obtained a BA in English and History and I have feelings of great pride at her achievements, not least because she is a mother of three and has been through some difficult times that coincided with her studies, so I am doubly proud of her.

The memory of that occasion will stay with me and will go into my happy memory bank.

Along with that feeling of great joy the degree ceremony took me back to the days before I was a mother. Thirty years in fact in - a past life - when I worked at a university in a (scientific) departmental office as a secretary for a Professor and through the job met many postgraduate students as well as a large number of younger undergraduates. Much groundbreaking research was carried out there and it still is.

These were the days of electric typewriters, IBM Golfballs, anyone remember those? (I am showing my age now but what the heck, I still feel exactly the same). The post-grads were always in and out of the office and we would type anything they wanted. There were lots of symposiums, conferences etc and we were always included in the social activities, they were wonderful times.

I am digressing.

At the weekend I was thinking back to those happy days and something made me Google the name of one of the post-grads; I can honestly say that all the students were extremely nice but this one in particular, who was from Cyprus, was probably the nicest; he always had a big smile and would bring gifts, send cards on our birthdays, that sort of thing. We saw all the students through their studies, typing their long and detailed scientific theses privately in our spare time and we rejoiced with them when they obtained their doctorates.

Anyway, just one click of my mouse on Saturday and to my pleasant surprise I found him and even more exciting I learned that he is now a Professor himself in the same university. I sent him a quick email, I didn’t even think he would remember me but a reply came yesterday to say that he did and (coincidentally again) he is having lunch this week with the lovely woman who used to be in charge of us in the office, he still meets her two or three times a year for lunch and they reminisce together. It was good to hear that they both have the same strong and very fond memories of the old days as I do, he mentioned the camaraderie, the fun and the spirit within the department which was indeed something special. Now the commercial pressures on universities mean that those days will never come again. But we can look back and as he said nostalgia is a wonderful thing.

I started with a quote, here’s another to end with:

The timeless in you is aware of life’s timelessness and knows that yesterday is but today’s memory and tomorrow is today’s dream.

Kahlil Gibran


That’s all for now,
May all your memories be happy ones,
Cait

17 comments:

Twiglet said...

Happy days! Its good to look back on the fun times that made us who we are. I met a college friend last week who I hadn't seen for 36 years - we laughed over old photos and remembered old friends - it was a lovely day.

Tess Kincaid said...

Congratulations on your daughter's graduation. Happy times. Nice memories.

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

My horoscope, too!
I try to be aware every day of the sort of memories I am creating. Memory is such a delightful place to visit when reality doesn't seem quite up to the task!

Kimberly said...

I sure do remember electric typewriters! ;) Congratulations to your daughter and to you!

C S said...

Lovely post and quotes about memory. Well done to your daughter on her great accomplishment.

My partner and I recently returned from a visit to your beautiful country. I also wrote about memory during our trip ... http://mysydneyparislife.wordpress.com/2009/06/07/musings-about-memory-in-suffolk-and-new-jersey/

Cheers from Sydney (and sometimes Paris).
Carolyn

Nan said...

Wow! Just wonderful, Cait.

Chris Stovell said...

Many congratulations to your daughter, Cait.

Milla said...

that's a great story - I love a neat ending and something sort of coming full circle. I always assume people won't remember me so am bad at keeping in touch. Golfball typewriters, oh yes! so desp modern after our manual ones (even though I was born in the mid 60s I trained on manuals. what monsters they were! always losing your finger between a and s)

Frances said...

Cait, that is a beautiful post, full of all sorts of comments and thoughts that cause me to pause, and to think.

Of course I remember those golf-ball typewriters, but I learned my typing on a massive manual typewriter. I could write an entire blog on the role of the typewriter, carbon paper, etc. in my early years.

Wonderful for you to be able to reconnect with those folks from back then. I also love that feeling of watching years melt away.

And, please do send my congratulations to your daughter. I can see why you are so proud of her.

Best wishes, xo

Pondside said...

Hello Cait - I've been away for a bit and am now just getting caught up with my favorite reading. What a lovely post to come to - everything about it touched me.
Congratulations on your daughter's graduation - an important milestone.
I loved your post with all the paintings - they just give me a good feeling.

Friko said...

Cait, you can't be living in the UK's smallest town. I do.
I've just joined the purplecoo and come across you there.

Elizabeth said...

How lovely to look back happily on your time at the university!
well done to your daughter
I look back with great joy to the past

I remember manual typewriters..........

Maria said...

Nice to read about your daughter. I'm desperately trying to finish my BA at age 46 and with 4 schoolgoing kids. Reading about someone else managing to do it gives me hope. I sometimes get nostalgic for my past too. I left the world as I knew it fifteen years ago and came and started a new life out here in India. I've recently been able to find some of my old friends on the internet and it is a great feeling. Lovely post. I'll be back again!!!

Maria said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Margie’s daughter Leiny said...

Hi Cait, love your memory tree and enjoyed reading the meme, hope the rain is keeping clear of where you are. Hugs, Margie.

Reasons said...

What a lovely post Cait, full of many treasures.

DJ Kirkby said...

What a small world, sometimes the power of Google is spectacular. I love your new blog header, is that yours? Like the Kahil Gibran quote too.